Summary

Inquiries into ground stone disk beads in the Salish Sea region have focused on frequency counts at one particular archaeological site, regional syntheses of distribution, or the use of beads as a means to explore Coast Salish expressions of wealth and status. Although these studies provide important information relating to the social role of these beads, they are either too broad in focus or ignore the interplay of beads between neighbouring sites. This presentation examines the inter site variability of beads recovered from archaeological sites within Katzie territory. Using the Katzie territory as an example focuses on the idiosyncratic uses of beads and the role that they may have had for the Katzie people. The meaning of beads for particular groups of people is often overlooked in both large regional syntheses and myopic frequency examinations of individual archaeological sites.